Co-op door closed in hail and torrential rain—chickens are soaked

[LynnTXchickenmom]

Our coop door is automatic. When we left for a friend’s house, the pop door was open and the door switch on auto. While at the friend’s house, we had a terrible thunderstorm with high winds, hail, and torrential rain. When I got home, all the chickens were outside the coop and soaked. Coop pop door was shut and the switch was on “close.” My guess? Hail or a tree branch hit the switch down to “close.” Chickens could go under the coop or under the trampoline to avoid the worst—marble-sized hail—but both places meant standing in water. I let them all in the dry coop and let the door close, but they are soaked. Temp is 55 now, but will be 41 by morning. Are they ok? Should I try to dry them? 18 RIR hens, 1 RIR rooster, and 2 barnyard mix roosters.

 

[Ocho 8 Farm]

Our coop door is automatic. When we left for a friend’s house, the pop door was open and the door switch on auto. While at the friend’s house, we had a terrible thunderstorm with high winds, hail, and torrential rain. When I got home, all the chickens were outside the coop and soaked. Coop pop door was shut and the switch was on “close.” My guess? Hail or a tree branch hit the switch down to “close.” Chickens could go under the coop or under the trampoline to avoid the worst—marble-sized hail—but both places meant standing in water. I let them all in the dry coop and let the door close, but they are soaked. Temp is 55 now, but will be 41 by morning. Are they ok? Should I try to dry them? 18 RIR hens, 1 RIR rooster, and 2 barnyard mix roosters.

I had the same-ish experience …
Except my chickens chose to stay in the rain.
It rained all day, they were soaked and i was worried about them because it was going to get down into the mid to upper 30’s at night. I tried to towel dry them but most didn’t want to cooperate.
They were dry in the morning and perfectly fine. Poor girls looked like drowned rats at night, but they were eating and drinking and pecking at the ground like nothing happened the next morning.
I’m sure you’re chickens will be ok too.

 

[LynnTXchickenmom]

I had the same-ish experience …
Except my chickens chose to stay in the rain.
It rained all day, they were soaked and i was worried about them because it was going to get down into the mid to upper 30’s at night. I tried to towel dry them but most didn’t want to cooperate.
They were dry in the morning and perfectly fine. Poor girls looked like drowned rats at night, but they were eating and drinking and pecking at the ground like nothing happened the next morning.
I’m sure you’re chickens will be ok too.

Thank you. I’ll not worry and go to bed. First experience with coop door being shut in a nasty storm. Who knew a storm could knock the door switch down to close? We should move it under the roof overhang.

 

[Trazom]

What brand of door?

 

[LynnTXchickenmom]

Ladies’ First Chicken Door. Great door. The switch settings are up, open; middle, auto; down, close. Something hit the switch down or a person did it—unlikely as we were gone and the weather was dangerous to be out in. Winds were strong and the hail was impressive. We were close enough to our home observing it through our friend’s windows.